Aquascape For 20 Gallon

HI all

I've just set up a new tank and now looking at my first tank it's looking a little bit sad and I'm hoping to get some thoughts and inspiration to improve my aquascape (see pic). The stock of the tank is:
- 10 harlequin rasbora
- 10 kuhlI loaches
- 1 pearl gourami
- 4 rummynose tetra (originally 6 but had some losses unfortunately)
- 1 assassin snail to manage Malaysian Trumpet Snails

- 3 pieces of driftwood
- eleocharis
- java ferns
- a few other live plants I've forgotten the identity of....
- sand substrate
- fake plant
- java moss
- floating plant (I think is amazon frogbit)

Any thoughts? I prefer natural looking tanks.

 

Looks very nice. I would get rid of the fake plants to make room for live ones. You could try a couple jungle val in the back right corner to block your heater and a few pieces of slate or a small rock pile in the mid to front right to fill in that blank area. Add an Anubis or 2 tied to your driftwood. Their very nice looking easy to grow plants. just a couple suggestions. My only other thoughts are the Pearl ( they can get 5-6" ) may outgrow your tank cause it appears your tank is a 20 tall correct? Also the Frogbit will soon overwhelm the top and may starve the other plants of light and nutrients when it makes a full canopy on top. ( if it hasn't already) . Aside from that it looks great!

 

Looks very nice. I would get rid of the fake plants to make room for live ones. You could try a couple jungle val in the back right corner to block your heater and a few pieces of slate or a small rock pile in the mid to front right to fill in that blank area. Add an Anubis or 2 tied to your driftwood. Their very nice looking easy to grow plants. just a couple suggestions. My only other thoughts are the Pearl ( they can get 5-6" ) may outgrow your tank cause it appears your tank is a 20 tall correct? Also the Frogbit will soon overwhelm the top and may starve the other plants of light and nutrients when it makes a full canopy on top. ( if it hasn't already) . Aside from that it looks great!

Thanks for your thoughts. It's not that clear in the photo but it's a long tank (Marina Vue 87 76cm long, 30.5cm wide, and 46cm tall (30.4 x 12.2 x 18.4in). As for the pearl, i'm keeping a close eye. He is around 2 years old now and seems ok size wise but I will definitely move him if he gets too large. The frogbit is a total nightmare, I regularly have to scoop 3/4 out with my net....

 

I would try moving the plants to the back corners of the tank, so that they are spaced out. you would have the venter open for fish and the whole front of the tank.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. It's not that clear in the photo but it's a long tank (Marina Vue 87 76cm long, 30.5cm wide, and 46cm tall (30.4 x 12.2 x 18.4in). As for the pearl, i'm keeping a close eye. He is around 2 years old now and seems ok size wise but I will definitely move him if he gets too large. The frogbit is a total nightmare, I regularly have to scoop 3/4 out with my net....

Yes I had 5 pieces of frogbit in my outside 29 about a month ago and now the entire top is covered aside from where the solar air pump is running the dual sponge filter in the tank

 

I would agree with Jimothy. Start by moving the plants to the back. Since it's already filled with water it might be difficult, but if you added more sand to the back of the tank, then planted your tallest plants in the back, it would create some depth and context. Also, move that dwarf hairgrass (or whatever that is) off the front glass- unless you're going to trim it down significantly. You want your foreground plants short so that the depth can be created and so you can see the rest of your aquascaping work behind it.

Another thing is to move the heater either behind the plants, or move the plants in front of the heater so it doesn't stick out so much. One thing that looks really good is your following of the 1.618 rule- making sure things aren't exactly symmetrical

 

Another good way to hide your heater is mounting it horizontal if it’s made to be able to do that. One is to hide it better and another thing is during your WC’s if u forget to unplug it it won’t b below the minimum water level line